


Kill Me Softly - Tell Me Lies

by Feather_Dancer



Series: Kill Me Softly [3]
Category: Ghost - Mystery Skulls (Music Video), Mystery Skulls (Band)
Genre: Arthur being a nerd, Emotional upset, Lewis as a trainwreck, Many song references as humanly possible, There be fridge raids, Vivi being Vivi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-01-04
Updated: 2015-03-15
Packaged: 2018-03-05 08:09:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,025
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3112418
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Feather_Dancer/pseuds/Feather_Dancer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Following on directly from the events of Kill Me Softly, the month before they went out into the brave (Living) world was an.... interesting one for all involved. Each chapter follows a particular event, big or small as the three try and get their heads around what the heck they should do with themselves now their lives have changed so much.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Might as well face it

Vivi to say the least is annoyed. Not a bad annoyed mind, more somebody has gone off her radar and she is not sure where he is which kind of goes against telling not only your noble leader but your girlfriend even if it’s just out of wanting to get away from Arthur for a few more hours annoyed. Of course this is Lewis all over apparently, always disappearing off somewhere not telling anyone and asking the ghosties not to reveal his location at the drop of a hat. He never used to be like this, hating being alone if he could consciously avoid it but then that was when he still needed to breathe. 

So with no one to help what with Mystery outside for the time being burning off some excess steam and the other being right out, she decides to stalk the many hallways and corridors of the mansion in hopes sooner or later she will get a hit of some form. There are only _so_ many places he can hide when his obviously favourite study room is the first port of call for hunting. His ability to go through ceilings and walls though is seriously cheating.

She crosses her arms with a huff before spotting one of the Dead Beats as it slowly floats past giving it a small wave and a smile, receiving a shy wave in return as it quietly heads off wherever it is going. In an odd way she rather likes them and can certainly see why Lewis is so protective of the little guys; he always was good with kids after all.

It’s about then she realises there is the sound of faint notes hanging in the air, slowly changing to a melody as she continues forth.

Aha!

Not needing to be damned, Vivi begins to move as quietly as she can possibly manage homing in on the sounds as she tries to figure out their source. Definitely this floor, close but they seem annoyingly reluctant in revealing their creator. A few more steps and lyrics start to whisper into her ear.

 _My joy,_

_My grief,_

_My life,_

_Is a spirit's game._

She frowns a little glancing round before deciding it is the right hand side somewhere surely, has to be one of these stupid doors why does he needs so many.

_With one whisper, you draw me_  
 _Into the dark of night_  
 _And I know that I've lost my passage home._

The words start to become clearer, the notes louder flowing in tandem helping form their song as she places her hand on the handle, holding her breath just to be absolutely sure.

_But one breath and I'm falling into your light and I find myself alone._

Vivi not being one for the quieter entrance shoves the door open roughly with a shoulder barge but at least has the sense to hang on so it doesn’t slam, a smile breaking out on her face as the words continue swirl around her.

_Now with each dream of breaking free, I feel it vanish like a wav-_

“LEW! I found you!”

There is a startled sound from the nearly upside down floating spirit tipped backwards as he is, nearly dropping the bow before he clutches both it and the violin close to his chest and blinks at her in surprise. Three little faces look shocked from the place they were playing audience illuminated only by his magenta and their own gold.

“… Ah, you found me then,” he answers with just a smidgeon of annoyance. Never could wait till at least he finishes a song if she had to make an entrance about something important. Some things don’t change.

Her grin grows wider as she continues to hold the door just in the entranceway.

“I just followed the lovely music as I wanted to find it’s source~ Seriously though you’re just as good as I remember you being! It’s kinda pitch black though, mind if I put a light on? Looks like your hair is about to set the carpet alight from here,” she is already patting the wall for a switch but makes no attempt to hit it once located, waiting impatiently for his answer.

With a hefty sigh Lewis re-orientates himself to be floating on his back still clutching the instrument tightly though letting his bow arm drop. She’ll do it regardless and he knows it, his peace and quiet is certainly gone for a while.

“It’s fine, there is only four of us here right now, they wanted me to play for them now I seem to be stable again,” he responds just motioning to the pink ghosts to be on the safe side with a tilt of the skull.

Vivi gleefully punches the light watching it stutter before flickering on and tromps straight over to the ghost looking up at him with a softer smile and reaching towards his draped hand that is just within grab range.

“I’m glad, I was worried I was gonna find you hiding out on your own. I know you don’t feel comfortable around Artie but doesn’t mean you have to avoid me too alright? Might be stupid but after what happened with you being conked out for a few days it’s nice having the reassurance that you’re okay. It’s… not because you’re still mad with me is it?” she asks grasping his fingers around the bow.

Lewis whispers an apology closing his eyes.

“No I was never mad with you Vi, I deserved that don’t start worrying yourself over it. Otherwise, I’m not too bad I guess? Everything feels as normal as it gets for me and they haven’t told me of anything feeling off with the energy levels so I think it’s completely static which I’m glad for, the erratic nature it had for a while was hugely infuriating. Has it been a week now since I came out of that? I’ve been going off entirely if you’re asleep or if I happened to look outside for some reason, I can’t keep track of time.”

“Oooh watching me sleep huh? You really did miss me~”

The spike in smouldering and the reddening of his skull is near instantaneous to the point his head sinks partially into his chest to hide. She just giggles and gently pats the hand she’s holding.

“Bless you’re still getting all flustered over me, it’s still so cute guess I haven’t lost the touch! Well if you have been, not had a single bad dream so guess got my guardian ghost watching out for me huh?” she asks sweetly not to mention highly amused. 

“I… um… yes? Maybe? I get worried you might end up cold as none of us can tell how warm it is so it’s more blanket duty than anything, really.” Still partially submerged but the embarrassment is starting to fade if not helped at all by the faint cackling he can hear in the background.

“Oh that’s your excuse huh. Is that why Arthur got buried a couple nights ago?” Vivi enquires genuinely enjoying herself as she moves his hand to her face.

“… Okay no that one wasn’t me but I admit I only moved them enough so he got air as I think they might have unintentionally neglected the fact the living breathes. Though that was the least contortionist impression I have ever seen him sleep in, mind.” Of course he does not reckon they neglected that fact at all as Mystery and Vivi were more than fine while Arthur was completely smothered particularly around his face, buuut he is not about to voice this little detail.

“Lew Lew you’re trying that’s all I ask for. But yeah, he seems to be holding it together better than I expected so far… The nightmares have been getting so bad again recently I admit I was a little worried how he was going to handle actually sleeping in a haunted mansion even if it belongs to you. I tried a couple years ago to get him to go see someone but he point blank refused though, guess now I understand why he buttoned up even to me about it,” she answers with a sigh before continuing.  
“Ugh and last night he didn’t want me anywhere near him either! I’m ashamed to admit I got so tempted to hide his arm under my blankets before he woke up, grumpy puss,” she pouts a little as she talks, more so when Lewis carefully moves her hand so he can hand the instrument to the awaiting Dead Beat before offering it back with another apology. The three smaller ghosts take their moment to depart and leave the two of them alone.

“You’ve actually taken to hiding his arm, Vivi?”

“Mmf, only when he really annoys me. If I ever do generally I just keep it close at hand so when he apologises for being stupid I’ll give it straight back since he can’t sleep with it on anyway as we found that was one of his nightmare triggers… I’ve not done it since the time he wandered out the apartment on his own in the middle of the night more than a few months back without saying anything. Thank god that’s just a rarity now he scared the living daylights out of me! I feel awful though but sometimes I think it’s the only thing that clicks in his head when he’s worked up in that bad a state,” she’s shaking her head and shivers at the memory taking back his hand and missing the annoyed expression from Lewis at what Arthur has been putting her through.  
“Ugh I’m sorry, it’s just really hard to vent when the only person is the one you want to vent ABOUT and it’s not fair ranting and raving to poor Mystery. I swear on his bad days I could kill him but I know it’s not his fault just would help if he felt he could talk about it more instead of bottling everything you know?” She’s frustrated he can tell and it only goes to irritate him further.

“He probably doesn’t even realise he’s doing it, mean didn’t bother mentioning the cave… He was fairly bad before so maybe it became force of habit?” he asks with a shrug.

She eyes him very carefully for a moment before she answers.

“Corazoncito, dear, I know you mean well but you’re pushing it.” She holds his hand a bit tighter just to make her point clear.

He blinks looking puzzled before he lets out the ghost equivalent of a sigh.

“I’m sorry Vi, it was a bit much I said it without thinking. Relearning when to voice your thoughts again is hard it’s gonna take a bit of getting used to, bit like getting used to being around actual people again.”

Vivi doesn’t answer, instead looking at him with a deepening frown chewing on her lip absently.

“Why did you look at me like that for a second, Lew? It was like you had no idea what I was saying,” 

“I… didn’t? Corazaffato? Something? I have no idea what that word is,” his words are honest, his skull tilts in confusion before concern oversets it when her expression drops further. 

“Lewis you were the one who taught me that, don’t you remember? You were forever switching language whenever you got particularly excited about something or whenever you wanted to be different!” she snaps before realising, glancing away with a mumbled apology. She then grasps his sleeve tighter as she stares up at his face.  
“How… how can you forget the words you grew up with?”

He looks away from her in silence, not sure how to respond. He is meant to know what she’s talking about? Then why doesn’t he? Granted there has been these holes for as long as he can actually remember, nothing too bothersome, they likely didn’t even matter, but you would think something like that if true wouldn’t have been something to fall in.

“I’m sorry I don’t. It’s strange there is a… haze almost? Of the scraps of The Before. I see many people whose faces are blanked out, hundreds of them that sometimes I think I should know but I don’t recognise with their voices scratched out. Come to think of it with the three of you, even Arthur, it’s the colours that stands out the strongest from the grey dark of everything else now I can actually see more of back then. But there are these odd gaps even with you, Vivi and I’m not sure why,” his voice is quiet, brow furrowed thinking about it. He looks at her to see his arm being grabbed into a hug with her face nestled into it though being the easiest thing she can reach before she suddenly lights up.

“That would explain why you’ve been getting these blank looks past few days, we’ve been mentioning names, places and stuff and you’ve had no idea what we meant. God I’m an idiot I should have realised! You even said so! The trauma of ending up as a ghost tends to mess with memories and I bet given yours was unnatural on top of it, it really did a number on that pretty little head of yours!”

He blinks at her and there is a vague niggle of that being mentioned at one time or another on a case proving problematic to deal with.

“Plus I remember when I talked to Arthur ages ago about the possession, he said it was like it amplified negative emotions once it had a root then went to town with them. I bet that happened to you too, which would explain why you’re such a strong one in such a short space of time too, neat! I could use you as a case study…”

“Vivi, no, just no.”

“But you’re a ghost that’s actually well behaved and have good manners! Though you still won’t let me touch your hair. I want to know what it feels like damnit.”

“No.”

She just rolls her eyes knowing sooner or later he’ll come round but just to humour him she drops it.

 

“I think your memories are still there though, Lewis, if experience is anything to go by. Just be the case of the right trigger to figuring out how to do it! Will be kinda long winded though but then ghosts with grudges tend to burn out first which you won’t hopefully, hrm. Just promise if we say something, any of us, you really don’t know you’ll speak up okay?“

“Alright, it’s a bit… random I guess? But I will do my best.”

She gives him a warm smile in response before her expression gets a distinct more impish tone.

“You know, the real reason I wanted to find you Lew Lew… Come down a bit so I can reach you proper and I’ll tell you~” that grin is growing but despite his suspicions he does allow himself into a more standing position if still a floating one as soon as his arm is let go.

“Okay, so I want you to try and do that alive look you did before and hold it for till about time we go eat maybe in three hours if I can hold off that long? You can still do ghost stuff don’t worry! I just want to see how you manage and not be too draining on you. I’ll even give you a prize if you manage it~” she grins wildly at his surprised expression.

Laughing, she seizes the moment and pulls him closer none too gently by the tie and presses a kiss on the top of his skull before releasing him with a smug look.

“There you go, a kiss for luck. I’ll tell the little ones, Dead Beats did you say they were called? To help keep a watch on you. I’m sure you’ll manage it with flying colours and when you do, we can slowly build you up to doing more normal things till the month is over! Does that sound okay to you? We can even start planning where to go a bit closer to the time, I’ve got so many ideas!”

He blinks looking flustered before a o o-okay becomes his answer. With just a vaguest of shimmers, pink flame traces across his body until his former appearance is revealed complete with ethereal eyes glowing vividly on inky darkness and small embers floating aimlessly near his head. The constant reminder of his current status no matter how much he might try and hide it.

“Oh! That’s new! You have little firey dealie-bobs round your shoulders neat! I guess the need for your spiritual energy wanting to manifest just pops up somewhere else then huh?” Her focus shifts on the lowest trying to reach for it with her hand but it just merrily keeps out her reach much to her growl.

“I suppose? I suspect they weren’t there before because of how bad a state I was in but this has happened every time other than that. I cannot get away from being a constant light source no matter how I look apparently,” he does actually laugh about it which sends Vivi cackling madly followed by a, oh that’s good to know! 

That plotting face says it all.

“Alright I’ll come find you when times up! If you feel it slipping just remember there’s a prize up for grabs if you can manage to go just those few hours looking as handsome as the day we lost you kay?” she asks with yet another grin before pointing an accusing finger at him.  
“Thoooough if you feel like somethings going wonky you holler, that takes absolute priority and I’ll hear no excuses. None. Is that clear mister.”

“Crystal.”

~~~

The next couple of hours hardly go spectacularly but pretty well all things considered given he is actively trying to hold it rather than just letting his body roll with it naturally. He slips up at least four times throughout the period though to their credit, the ghost following him around quickly points it out so he can fix it before anyone else notices him or the wildly flailing Dead Beat trying to get him to hurry much to their collective relief. 

The few close calls with Arthur are immediately dodged notably with Lewis avoiding looking remotely near his face but still with a furious glare. Both parties are seemingly hell bent on insuring it though one is understandably distinctly more jittery about the accidental encounters than the other. Vivi just points to her watch each time to show the time is ticking down and giving a thumbs up that she’s impressed he’s holding out so well. He admits he gets a bit red each time though pretends not to when he feels a gentle pat on his shoulder as she passes, her happiness obvious on her face. 

Absently as time ticks down still further he begins to wonder what on earth she has in mind as he heads for the kitchen, ignoring walls without a care since it’s not a rule he’s bound to right now and eh why not, to see if any devastation has taken part as yet be it by human or otherwise. 

…

Come to think of it he hasn’t seen or heard any trace Mystery at all today.

Crap.

~~~

“LEW LEW TIME’S UP! WHERE YOU HIDING?!”

Vivi’s only response is silence making her frown further. She’s been looking for a whole ten minutes now and absolutely no trace of anything dead anywhere! She really doesn’t want to ask Arthur to help since last she saw of him he was stammering something about needing to go sort the heater out in the van and despite the blatant lie, he wasn’t coughing up the real reason though she suspected what it really was. She’d pin him down later and try and get him to talk or if worse comes to worse, bribe him out with food since he’s been skipping meals again.

Still the priority right now is Lewis. Things he mentioned earlier has been bugging her a lot so he really could do with something nice and maybe cheer him up a bit hopefully.

“Lew! Seriously where the heck ARE you?” she shouts with just a tinge of worry in her voice. 

It’s about then she hears the sound of something crashing to the floor and an angry sound tearing after it. It is quickly followed by Mystery high tailing it at full belt out a doorway, food stuffed in his mouth in the opposite direction.

“I said just a minute that’s all I asked!” a slightly echoing voice bellows after him before it gets replaced with angry muttering.

Grinning Vivi quickly heads straight for the kitchen and peers around the door to find a fairly irate Lewis, still in a human appearance floating, along with a few of the Dead Beats cleaning up a scattering of food from the floor along with a couple broken plates scattered to the wind by dashing paws.

“Oooo someone got busted!”

Lewis blinks turning to the laughing sound to find her already sweeping in to help much to the confusion of all the ghosts.

“Guess his impatience hasn’t changed at all then? I literally had it in my hand… The fridge was already wide open; a hidden stash got raided as well. It’s a good thing not everybody in the mansion needs to eat or we’d be on rations given how much he’s just devoured,” he adds with a grumble vaguely gesturing to one of the ghosts helping who immediately goes to help Vivi pick up some of the larger shards. 

“Probably hungry from running around outside and helping Art all afternoon. He just beat me to it is all,” she answers with a smile, winking at him when he quirks an eyebrow making red creep onto his face.

“At least from what I remember you rarely broke anything, Viv.”

“Uh huh lets keep it that way. You did great today! And you had no problems right?” she asks putting a hand on hip watching him carefully as the pieces are taken from her hand.

“No not at all. It’s been flickering on occasion so I really do need to keep an eye on it, but other than that it does not seem to be energy draining anything that’s too concerning it’s just figuring out if I can have a breather and make it stick. I’ll sort something out,” he shrugs slightly as he speaks. He is very appreciative of not having to walk though, ugh the thought.

“Good, I’m glad… C’mon lets get the rest of this mess cleaned up, get some proper food, even take out if need be, then I can give you your present! And don’t you even think about giving Arthur food poisoning this time,” she adds glaring causing him to quickly look away.

“We wouldn’t even dream of it.”


	2. I'm not blind, baby

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Arthur never did feel safe in the mansion again for a long time after this.

Another day brings the fabled leader of the Mystery Skulls stalking the corridors once more but this time she does not have a certain ghost on her mind but the other living human resident. Both of her boys have the worst hiding habits these days, deliberately or not, but at least this time there is no annoyance about the whole affair. There is just mild concern that she is gonna run out of daylight before she finds him. The mansion is a bleeding maze!

Eventually though, her persistence finally pays off when she spots her quarry dead ahead as she makes her way back into one of the many endless hallways. Vivi even notices a brightly coloured towel that just happens to be wrapped round his slouched shoulders and smirks.

“Lookie here, actually willingly having a shower without being locked in the bathroom! I’m well impressed, Artie.”

“Viv, with all due respect, go to hell.”

The girl bursts out madly cackling so hard that even a hyena would find impressive clutching the nearest doorframe while tears start to run down her face. The second she manages to slow, she clocks the indignant if still a smidge damp Arthur complete with hair responding to gravity’s pull and bursts into round two without mercy.

“Oh come on you’re acting like I never have them!” he snaps crossing his arms to add effect of the glare towards the still giggling one but it’s not stopping the blush creeping up on him in the slightest.

“Yeeees you do, but usually only when I point out you’re getting oil, grease and other crap all over the furniture as you’ve been in an engine or on some project and lost track of time yet again. At least when you trail parts I can move them, layers of gross I have to scrub,” she answers with a grin still barely keeping her giggling down if the titters occasionally escaping her mouth is any indication.

He continues to glower but there is a distinct whined sound that could be taken as a noooo which unfortunately for the blond just sets her off again. To her credit though, she does walk over and leans in close to brush hair out his frumpy face with a smile.

“Easy tiger! I’m kidding! Come on now don’t show yourself up in front of the children you might just go and upset them~”

Naturally Arthur goes even brighter red and starts spluttering a Vivi! That barely gets beyond his teeth when she shushes him.

“But they’re so innocent! And one day can all be part of the family and it’ll be sickeningly adorable,” she answers wistfully and a wink moving her hand away completely.  
“Plus any more stragglers we pick up, of course.”

The mechanic makes a strangled noise, takes a breath then hits back with the most calm he can muster accompanied by the flattest of looks.

“Viv, just this morning they tried to eat one of my shoes.”

“And I bet the gross ass smell put them off, what’s your point?”

“… No comment.”

Rolling her eyes she leans forward again to dump her arm round his shoulders to his incredibly suspicious expression. Already he is highly concerned what the next words out of her mouth are going to be.

“Well before I got distracted by this astonishing event occurring, was actually coming to find you and since you weren’t lurking about in the van was kinda having a bit pot luck trying. Running bit low on a few bits and pieces and I wanna to scope out the nearest town for… later stuff. I’m gonna leave Mystery here but think you’ll be okay on your own for a few hours? I’ll try to be quick as I can, promise.”

“Uh, sure? Mean Lewis has just been avoiding me so not been that bad since a few days ago…” he answers quietly notably glancing away but she doesn’t seem to notice when she starts talking again.

“Mmm I need to speak to him about that. But anyway, you need any top ups? You know case you have another attack come on. You hid the bottle again so no idea how you’re doing on tablets and they do a really good job knocking you the heck out even if I have to drag your ass out of bed first thing.”

Looking slightly alarmed for a moment, he gently waves her arm off and to stop her stealth playing with his hair anymore than she already is. Always has to fidget with something but then it wouldn’t be her otherwise.

“Got enough for a few days but it wouldn’t hurt having another as a backup just in case, Vivi, thanks. Gimmie a call if you’re gonna get held up though, kay?”

Arthur’s response is just a swift kiss on the cheek and then she’s hurtling away with a, got it!, before he’s left back in silence looking no less flustered than how he started barely five minutes before. 

That girl seems to have such an effect on people.

~~~

It starts out innocent enough.

Lewis is still missing if that’s the right word for it? In a twisted way Arthur’s relieved as much as it makes his heart sink. Since seeing him look … alive… it is proving really hard to see that façade of how he looked in life and not feel like throwing up immediately. His mind has taken quite a shine to throwing in the fact there should be a gaping hole there, do you not see it? Oh and one just there too, look at that you can see _right through him_ whatever did you do? Are you absolutely sure you can see it now? Good.

It’s one of the many, many times Arthur curses his insanely overactive imagination for dumping these things on him at the worst possible time as it has a wonderful habit of doing. It’s no wonder he hasn’t been able to sleep properly since it happened and given Vivi asked… She might have already guessed his nightmares are back in full force even if not what form they’ve taken now. Absently, he wonders too if just being seen is as upsetting to the ghost as he is to him and that is why he’s been so quiet the past couple of days. He never did seem to look him dead in the eye, usually just above or just below but he daren’t ask why.

Letting out a small sigh he tries to shoo the thoughts away once more as he takes out the last of his tools he needs to clean. Their fellows are already scattered across the duvet and ugh his hands are already gross again he just washed them an hour ago. Fuck.

Distracted by his grumblings the mechanic almost misses a humble screwdriver magically starting to levitate into the air on it’s own until it just happens to hum away right past his eyes.

“Uh….?”

The movement freezes, barely higher than his shoulder realising it’s been seen.

“If that’s one of you g-guys, that is not a toy…”

The small questioning chirp is expected from the flat expression it gets but the thief does not seem inclined to put a proper appearance even when Arthur holds his hand out below the floating object.

“I don’t even know what you guys do with h-half the things you steal for me, c’mon hand it over. I need it.”

Unfortunately it seems to quickly lose interest in the blond, choosing instead to slowly amble off with the tool and take it on a rather jerkily moving journey off out the room and to who knows where much to the incredulous look of the former owner scrambling off the bed.

“Hey! You get back here!” Arthur snaps before tearing after the wayward item tauntingly keeping just out of his reach as it meanders mysteriously down the corridor.

~~~

Things start to get more suspicious when the Dead Beat still refuses to drop the screwdriver after ten minutes of chasing. Their attention span is little better than a sieve from what he’s discovered so far, only their fellow ghost able to hold their interest for more than a few seconds before they’re hurtling off onto the next shiny. That and the fact it kept deliberately slowing anytime Arthur did to make sure he is still well aware which direction it was going to turn next. 

The careful placement on the floor does absolutely nothing to make him feel any better about it either. Frowning he looks this way and that approaching it cautiously before he bobs down to retrieve it.

“Oh, hey there my dear. I trust the escort did not pose too many problems for you?”

Literally jumping into the air, Arthur unfortunately manages to land on his back though thankfully not too badly from the surprise at the sudden female voice from out of nowhere. Blinking, he quickly looks round but can see no sign of where it came from.

“Bless, just need to look up a bit. Just a bit more. There you are. I’m afraid I can’t get myself any lower from my hanger hook here. I am a little stuck, so to speak.”

The poor blond looks utterly bewildered on the floor before slowly staring up at the lady portrait leisurely leaning out her painting to observe him with the screwdriver ticed this way and that in her white-gloved hand.

“Umm… you’re… the uh Duchess… painting right? The one who helped Vivi when we were trying to help Lew?”

“That would be me, m’dear. He’s almost as stable as before the lot of you came to our doors so I am more than happy to have set you up on the right path to help,” she smiles softly then points the tool’s sharper edge towards him.  
“I was hoping you’d come by my way, however.”

Arthur tilts his head with a confused if tinged with mild worry look, pointing to himself with a, me? Expression as he slowly gets back up onto his feet.

“No no, don’t you worry about a thing. I just wanted to speak to you a moment if I may? You do not seem to pass our particular walls so much, makes it a little hard to catch you… That and you always seem so busy going this all over the mansion with your little projects and I’d so hate to be a bother,” she answers closing her eyes in a sweet expression tucking the screwdriver against the side of her dress out the way for a moment.  
“You see I want to talk, about Master Lewis specifically.”

“There’s, um, not a problem is there…? Mean was kinda worried I might have accidentally upset or something him but,” the mechanic asks sounding apprehensive, clutching at his metal arm.

“Upset? Ah well, he’s just fine right now I can tell you _that_ for certain. He’s just awaiting for the delightful girl of yours to return. He has his quiet periods and needs his peace you know, you just have to learn to deal with them as they come. It is simply how Master Lewis is,” she gestures with a hand loosely downwards so he’s in the basement right now, maybe?

Suddenly her expression takes on the same one as when they first traversed the mansion. Sharp teeth and a furious expression bore down on the mechanic who scrambles backwards and barely holds back the temptation to bolt completely realising that it is a very very bad idea despite how badly his brain is screaming t him to get the HELL outta there.

“I just want to give you a small warning, blondie. If you so much as consider breaking his heart again, in _any_ way, you will get the grandest pleasure of seeing just how far I can interact with the unpainted realm with a knife straight through your rib cage. I will then pass you on to my dear friend The Exorcist round the corner who as I am sure you are well aware loves you very much,” The Duchess snarls crushing the screwdriver cleanly in half in her palm with an audible snap.  
“Am I making myself clear, sweetie?”

Frozen stiff, Arthur barely nods much to her delight as she returns back to her more serene appearance with a blatantly faked smile.

“Good. Now you go run along now. I’m glad we had this little chat,” she replies making a shooing motion with her hands and dropping the broken tool out of her painting before withdrawing. The terrified Arthur just tears outta there like she is on his heels right then not daring to look back at the smug expression watching him.

\---

Arthur never dares go near any of the paintings without someone with him after that incident. He is convinced that The Duchess is always watching him just out the corner of his eye from her seemingly random choice of location on the walls of the mansion. She may well be, she only has Lewis’ absolute best interests at heart after all.

Always.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun facts! This chapter has been sitting half done since back in December and I've known about it for longer huurgh.
> 
> Next week should be the next Mobster!AU oneshot. Please look forward to it :)

**Author's Note:**

> The song Lewis was rudely interrupted while playing is Will o' the Wisp - Jillian Aversa and Christopher Tin which is well worth a listen!
> 
> Also worth noting:  
> The heart is deliberately not mentioned I didn't forget promise!  
> Lewis can hold his Alive!Lewis appearance a lot better normally but he was kinda panicking about not screwing it up for Vivi which kept leading it to flicker and either fudge up or drop completely, oops. 
> 
> Next week will be the second songfic, Don't Go Away for Lewis!


End file.
